Roses are red, violets are blue - what the heck am I supposed to do?
Yeah, I get it. You have a bit of free time to explore the castle. But as many of us are aware, there are a ton of things to do! How do you go about deciding what you should use your time towards?
There’s cooking, talking to students, buying items, etc. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best things for you to do with all of that freetime I wish I had in real life:
10. Search for missing item
Giving Edelgard a lost item.
Perhaps the best part about searching for all the lost items around Garreg Mach is it takes no actual activity points. Activity points are shown by the bar on the top of your screen when you explore. These increase when you up your professor level. But until you get to a high enough level, you want to be frugal with spending your activity points.
You may not get a lot for finding students’ lost items, but it does increase your bond with them. This can be a great thing if you are trying to recruit them!
In short:
- Uses no activity points
- Increases your bond with students
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Lost_Items
9. Choir practice 
Choir practice with Dorothea and Ferdinand.
Choir practice is incredibly helpful, even if you don’t realize it at first – it took me a few playthroughs to realize why it was actually a good thing to do. The characters you may see at choir practice will often be your magic users, since they will get faith experience from choir. Your bonds with the two students at practice, including the bonds among your two students, will deepen. You will also gain authority experience and professor experience points!
In short:
- Gain faith experience
- Gain authority experience
- Deepen your bonds with students
- Gain professor experience points
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/A_Passion_for_Music
8. Faculty training 
Byleth trains with with Manuela.
This is incredibly useful, especially early game. Faculty training allows Byleth (your unit) to up their skill level with chosen talents. You should focus on training up the skills that you are focusing on for either your Byleth build, or the students you are planning to recruit. However, each faculty training costs one activity point.
In short:
- Helps train up skills quicker
- Helps with recruiting units
More information: https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Garreg_Mach_Monastery
7. Fishing 
Byleth gives fishing a try.
This is one of the best things you can do if you’re broke. Seriously. When fishing, you can get food to help you make more meals for sharing. This is great because you don’t have to buy the fish.
You may want to consider saving your bait until there is a special event going on, where you can get rare fish. But early on, I would recommend fishing a lot, because it can help your professor level. You gain professor level points for each fish you catch! The points vary based on the fish you reel in.
In short:
- Does not use activity points
- Gain professor experience
- Get food to make meals
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Fishing
6. Giving gifts to your students 
Cyril thanks Byleth for the gift.
Perhaps a bit pricey depending on what you give your students, this is still an excellent idea. Giving gifts to a student costs zero activity points, and it increases their motivation. It is also a good way to increase your bond with them if you are trying to recruit them. An increased bond will make it easier for recruitment!
This is a great idea if you have enough items or have enough money to buy items to give to students.
In short:
- Increases motivation
- Does not cost activity points
- Increases bond
- Can be pricey
More information: https://game8.co/games/fire-emblem-three-houses/archives/286681
5. Sharing a meal 
A meal shared between Byleth, Ashe and Sylvain.
Sharing a meal with your students might be one of the most important things for you to be doing during your exploration time. First and foremost, it increases the motivation of your students! This is super important when it comes to teaching the!. Secondly, it helps to increase your professor experience points. This is incredibly important towards your growth, especially as chapters start becoming more difficult.
In short:
- Maximize student motivation
- Increase professor experience
- Increase bonds
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_dishes_in_Fire_Emblem:_Three_Houses
4. Gardening 
Byleth spends their free time gardening.
I was a mess during my first playthrough of Fire Emblem. I didn’t realize until close to the end how important gardening can be. I suggest that every time you are exploring Garreg Mach, you take some of your time to do some gardening. This wastes none of your activity points, but it comes with limitless potential.
Not only can you get flowers to give your students, you can also gain valuable resources and ingredients for meals.
In short:
- Doesn’t use activity points
- Can get valuable resources
- Doesn’t cost money if you decide not to pay for higher quality
- Can get ingredients for meals
More information: https://game8.co/games/fire-emblem-three-houses/archives/291772
3. Tea Party
Tea time with Felix.
When you decide to recruit students during your playthrough, you will realize that many of these units come with requirements. However, by strengthening your bond with them, the requirements will begin to relax a bit. Tea parties are one of the best ways you can deepen a bond with your students and fellow teachers. Try figuring out their favorite tea and using that, as well!
In short:
- Easy to initiate
- Strengthens bonds with students
- Can buy tea in shops
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Tea_Party
2. Recruitment 
Byleth works to recruit Lysithea.
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do in the first half of the game, start recruiting students and professors. This will benefit you down the road. A wide variety of students can add a lot to your team. This will give you the opportunity to try out different builds that you may not have had on your team otherwise.
It is also never a bad idea to have more than one healer on your team. If one of them dies, things can get difficult. Still, you will want to make sure you do some of the previous things on this list if you plan to recruit these units since they all have unique requirements. Plus, as you progress through the game, you will unlock more auxiliary spots.
In short:
- Adding units to your team will give you options when battling
- Having more than one of the same type of unit is helpful
- You can use extra units as auxiliaries
More information: https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Recruitment
1. Battle!
The player phase of one of many battles in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
This is a no brainer – it is Fire Emblem, after all. Battling should be the first thing you consider doing with your time. Not only is it a great way to test out units, but you can also level them up and increase their weapon skills. This is also a great way to collect items (Paralogue missions, anyone?) and master certain classes! Don’t forget that money is also an excellent reward.
In short:
- Gain experience and level up your units
- Helps you master classes and weapon skills
- Try out units and new builds
- Money and other rewards
More information: https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Paralogue
